Your test came back positive. The most dreaded news for which you were so affraid came true. You have the HIV virus in your vains. What now?

The information about the medical side, the pathology, the course the infection will take, the CD4 rate, the viral load, ARV treatment etc. In your after test counseling they will have explained; you will get brochures, there are websites, information is plentyful.

You know of course that there is no cure for this virus infection. Most likely you will not be sick yet and probably still have years to go before you have to think about getting ARV medicine. Some charlatan "faith healers" and herbalists will say they can cure you and you may be tempted. But inside your head you know its a lie. It cant be done. The virus is there and will stay there until you die (which may be 20 years from now or even much later). The virus is your constant companion. You have to learn to live with it.

But now about your private life. You will have to deal with some very practical and moral dilemmas.

You need to think about "Whom do I tell...?" Will I tell my parents? Will I tell my friends? Will I tell my colleagues? Do I need to tell doctors; dentists? Do I tell my lover? Do I tell the cute guy I want to take home for some fun tonight?
Some decade ago, councelors, doctors and AIDS activists would have urged you to go public with it. Tell the world: they will have to accept it. We have to break the silence. We have to advocate for the rights to be treated with respect and to be accepted. We need to fight for our rights to a job and a normal life.
It can be OK to go public. Especially the early Positive advocates, were able even to become salaried activists. They made a career out of coming out as positive. They got jobs at NGOs or formed their own Civil Society Organisations. And still the so called People Living with HIV AIDS (PLWHA's) sometimes find a new life goal in organazing themselves and in activism.
But it is not absolutly the only way for everyone.
You have to consider carefully. It can have very serious repercussions to tell people, and the question is: is it necessary? Do you need to tell? What are the reasons to do so and what the reasons not to do it?

If you have a committed realtion with a loving and understanding partner, you need to tell. It may talke some time for you to gather courage, but you will have to tell. If the relation is not strong enough to widthstand it, it was probably not worth preserving it.
Do you need to tell a new friend? a cute guy you just met and you want to get down with him. You are scared he will scare off if you tell.. Most likely he will. You can put it to the test right away, but you dont need to. You can enter into causal sex or start a new relationship without disclosing your status. As long as you practice safe sex it is OK.
See where the relationship takes you. If it gets serious you can always decide to tell.
Beware, the more people know the greater the risk someone will "out you in public against your will". And in a country like Ghana you risk loosing everything: your family, your job, your church, your house, your friends............. For what? With the proper ARV treatment your HIV infection can be brought under control just like any other chronical disease. If your CD4 and viral load are kept up to strength you can live a normal life, with a low viral load you are a lot less dangerous to others if accidents happen. So why tell people if it does not affect them? Ofcourse your partner should know. And maybe certain doctors need to know;

I dont plea for hiding, getting into the closet, not getting medical attention. I just suggest that for some it may not automatically the wisest choice to go public. "disclose only on a need to know basis". Protect yourself and protect others, all in its propper way.

New facts: Did you know that if you receive HAART treatment and your viral load is below 50 (undetectable); if you take your ARV treatment regularly and your viral load has been consistantly under 50 and you dont have any other STDs, you can have unprotected sex with your sero-negative partner without risk of him/her getting infected.


I would like to see a discussion here. What do you think, should one tell always? or not? Give your opinion below.

Usefull links for PLWHA:

Living with HIV/AIDS | Brochures | CDC HIV/AIDS
Jun 21, 2007 ... This brochure covers many of the topics a newly diagnosed person may be
interested in, such as what are HIV and AIDS, how to stay healthy, ...
http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/brochures/livingwithhiv.htm
Personal stories of women living with HIV
A group of HIV positive women tell their stories of living with HIV.
http://www.avert.org/womstory.htm
Personal stories of young people living with HIV
Personal accounts, experiences and stories of young people living with HIV.
http://www.avert.org/ypstory.htm
The Body: Living With HIV
Articles on quality of life topics, at The Body, the complete AIDS/HIV
information resource.
http://www.thebody.com/content/art40480.html
Living Without HIV Drugs
True-life stories of those diagnosed HIV-Positive.
http://www.livingwithouthivdrugs.com/
HIV and AIDS: Living and Managing
Being HIV positive isn't a death sentence. Here's a ton of information on how to
live with HIV. Remember, the virus isn't in control -- you are.
http://www.webmd.com/hiv-aids/guide/hiv-aids-living-managing
HIV - Living with HIV and AIDS - AEGIS
Aug 10, 2004 ... We are collecting stories and multimedia pieces that deal with LIVING With HIV.
You are welcome to take a look if you remember it's a hard ...
http://www.aegis.com/ni/topics/living.asp
Living with HIV and AIDS - Living with HIV - Living with AIDS
Living with HIV means learning about your disease and taking control of your
life. Living with HIV and AIDS is a challenge but is made easier with these ...
http://aids.about.com/od/livingwithhiv/Living_with_HIV_and_AIDS.htm
Social Security For People Living With HIV/AIDS
Social Security For People Living With HIV/AIDS. SSA Publication No. 05-10019,
February 2005, ICN 454510 [View .pdf] Get Accessible Adobe Acrobat Reader ...
http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10019.html
Living well with HIV/AIDS
Providing nutritional care and support for people living with HIV/AIDS is an
important part of caring at all stages of the disease. ...
http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/y4168e/y4168e00.HTM